3/6/11

Having a dinner party can be a lot of fun-- but it's also a lot of work! I learned that yesterday night when I hosted a party for my husband's friends. He found out Friday afternoon that a good friend of his was going to be in town for the weekend, so he asked if I wanted to play host and show off my new cooking skills for a few friends. I was excited to take on the challenge-- but also a little stressed since I'd never planned a dinner party before, and I had been given approximately 24 hours advance notice to plan the menu.

After weighing multiple dinner options, I settled on a slightly adventurous menu, that although a little unconventional, ended up being a big hit with both the vegetarians and the meat eaters of the group. We had a lot of laughs, and although my kitchen ended up looking like bomb had exploded in it by the end, I look forward to having friends over again for another party soon!

9. With each eggplant slice, spoon 2 tablespoons of spinach filling at one end of the eggplant slice. Roll the eggplant starting at the end with the spinach filling. Place rolls seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Use toothpicks to secure rolls if necessary.

3. When mixture starts to dry, transfer dough onto floured surface and knead for 3 minutes until it forms into a ball that is no longer tacky to the touch. If it is too dry, add additional olive oil. If it is too wet, add more flour.

4. Once the ball is properly formed, put it into an oiled bowl, and cover dough ball in olive oil. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let sit for 2 hours.

6. After 2 hours, punch air out of dough and place onto floured surface. Roll dough out into a rectangle. With a pizza cutter, cut strips in dough approximately 3/4" wide by 6" long. Tie a knot with each strip and place onto baking sheet.

7. Bake in oven for 10 minutes until slightly golden brown on the top. Pour garlic sauce over knots and serve while warm.

What I believe...

-Being healthy shouldn't be difficult and it shouldn't be expensive-A healthy home cooked dinner always trumps fast food-Paying extra for organic is worth it-Dessert and wine are a part of a healthy diet-If you've never run in the rain, you've never run-Nights in are better than nights out-Everyone is an athlete, most of us just haven't realized it yet-Laughter and exercise are the best medicines